It's clear that when Delaroche shocked the Paris public in the 1830s, what he was really ­doing was presenting them, indirectly, with the mayhem of their own very recent revolution. The death of Lady Jane Grey had taken place centuries before; it provided a safe space for ­contemplation, allowing onlookers to meditate on the cruelty of history.

Webmaster's Commentary:

This is not unlike Arthur Miller's "The Crucible", which although set at the time of the Salem Witch Trials was in reality a commentary on the McCarthy anti-communist purges that wrecked the careers of everyone who refused to support the creation of a cold war against our WW2 allies the Soviets.